The John W. Hunt Memorial Scholarship

The William Faulkner Society offers scholarships for graduate students or nontenured scholars to attend the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference in Oxford, Mississippi.

The scholarships cover the cost of conference registration, with the possibility of additional funding depending on available resources. These awards are funded by annual dues from members of the Society. The number of awards depends on current funds, and we invite donations to help fund these important scholarships. Remaining funds support students and junior and contingent faculty present at MLA and ALA on our Society-sponsored panels.

About John W. Hunt

John W. Hunt was born January 19, 1927, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He served in the Naval Reserve V-12 Program and later aboard the USS Earle from 1944-1946. Hunt then obtained his BA at the University of Oklahoma (1949) and his doctorate in Theology and Literature at the University of Chicago (1961).

Hunt taught at Earlham College, publishing articles and the book, William Faulkner: Art in Theological Tension (1965). In 1972 he moved to Lehigh University to serve as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, where he eventually became Professor Emeritus in the English Department. In the course of his career he won numerous awards and honors, including the E. Harris Harbison Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1965, the Ira Doan Distinguished Teacher Travel Award in 1970 and membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Chapter of Pennsylvania. He died March 8, 2004.

Scholarship Requirements

William Faulkner Society members and others may apply directly for the Hunt Scholarships or be nominated by a faculty member. Each application should include:

• A brief letter from the student or faculty member explaining how the their work can be enhanced by attending the conference
• A current C.V.

Send all items by email, with “Hunt Scholarship” in the subject line, to the Faulkner Society Advisory Board: . The application deadline for the next award is May 5, 2024.